About 100,000 taxi drivers will gather at Yeouido, Seoul, Thursday afternoon for a massive protest against Kakao’s carpool service, taxi unions said Wednesday. The drivers also warned that they might surround the National Assembly with their taxis. Amid the ongoing conflict between the taxi industry and Korea’s tech giant Kakao, taxi drivers have organized multiple protests urging the company to abandon its carpool business plans. The recent death of a 57-year-old taxi driver, who set himself on

GANGNEUNG/SEOUL -- Police said Wednesday they have confirmed a defect in the gas-fired boiler at a guesthouse in Gangneung that likely caused the deaths of three students by carbon monoxide poisoning.Police announced the preliminary result after conducting a joint investigation at the scene with the National Forensic Service and the Korea Gas Safety Corp.They turned the boiler on to see how it operated and found that it was emitting a large quantity of exhaust gas from a faulty pipe, the police

GM Korea was given the green light Tuesday by the Korea Development Bank to proceed with the controversial setup of an independent research and development entity here, ending a monthslong tug-of-war since GM shut down a factory here this February as part of global restructuring. In return, GM Korea reaffirmed its long-term commitment, which centers on its plan to make Korea General Motors’ production base for all-new sub-compact SUVs and all-new crossover utility vehicles. GM Korea’s unionized

South Korean Olympic short track champion Shim Suk-hee testified against her ex-coach in an assault case on Monday, saying she wanted the truth to come out and justice to be served.Shim fought back tears as she read from a note during an appeals trial of her former coach Cho Jae-beom at the Suwon District Court in Suwon, 45 kilometers south of Seoul.Cho received a 10-month prison term in September for physically assaulting Shim and three other skaters, but he appealed the decision.  (Yonhap)Shim

An explosion at a restaurant in northern Japan injured 42 people late Sunday, police said, with the blast reportedly causing surrounding buildings to collapse.Fires broke out following the incident in the northern city of Sapporo, Kyodo news agency said, and images from the scene showed large flames and plumes of smoke rising in the night air. Firefighters work at the scene after an explosion at a restaurant in Sapporo, in the northern Hokkaido prefecture on December 16, 2018 (AFP)A police offic

Nations on Sunday struck a deal to breathe life into the landmark 2015 Paris climate treaty after marathon UN talks that failed to match the ambition the world's most vulnerable countries need to avert dangerous global warming.Delegates from nearly 200 states finalised a common rule book designed to deliver the Paris goals of limiting global temperature rises to well below two degrees Celsius (3.6 Fahrenheit). Representatives of nearly 200 nations have been holding talks at the UN`s COP24 summit

The immigration office on the southern island of Jeju decided Friday to grant refugee status to two Yemeni asylum seekers, the first move of its kind since South Korea began to grapple with their inflow early this year. The immigration office also gave 50 other applicants humanitarian stay permits while denying refugee requests of 22 applicants, according to the Ministry of Justice.  (Yonhap)Those who obtained refugee status and stay permits are allowed to leave the island for other parts of the

The gunman who killed three people at a Christmas market in Strasbourg was shot dead by French police on Thursday as the Islamic State jihadist group claimed him as one of its "soldiers".More than 700 French security forces had been hunting for 29-year-old Cherif Chekatt since the bloodshed on Tuesday night -- the latest in a string of jihadist attacks to rock France.Messages of support for the victims, as well as candles and flowers, are multiplying in Strasbourg streets. (AFP)Interior Minister

Kakao Mobility said Thursday that it will delay the formal launch of its carpool service that was initially slated for Monday, citing a need to engage in continued discussions with taxi drivers, the government and other industry stakeholders on the issue.The move came after a 57-year-old taxi driver burned himself to death in protest of Kakao’s carpool service plans Monday, shocking the public and driving up tensions between the company and taxi unions that have been staging fierce protests agai

A second Canadian citizen who has been questioned by authorities in China is "presently missing", Canadian officials said Thursday, adding to tensions following the arrest of a top Chinese telecom executive on a US request in Vancouver.The Canadian foreign ministry identified the second Canadian as Michael Spavor, a China-based business consultant who facilitates trips to North Korea, met with its leader Kim Jong Un and famously arranged some of retired NBA star Dennis Rodman's visits there. Mic

15-floor office building in Gangnam, Seoul, was evacuated and left vacant Wednesday after signs of its impending collapse were reported the day before. City officials who inspected the building concluded that it was dangerous.Seoul’s Gangnam District Office designated the Daejong Building in Samseong-dong, Gangnam, as a “Class-3 Establishment,” the lowest safety level, meaning that it presents a “high risk of disaster” or requires “continuous management to prevent disasters.”(Yonhap)Wide cracks

A gunman killed at least three people and wounded a dozen others at the famed Christmas market in the French city of Strasbourg on Tuesday before fleeing the scene, authorities said.A manhunt was under way after the killer opened fire at around 8pm (1900 GMT) on one of the city's busiest streets, sending crowds of evening shoppers fleeing for safety.Soldiers patrolling the area as part of regular anti-terror operations exchanged fire with the suspect and wounded him, but could not stop him escap

The main opposition Liberty Korea Party elected four-term lawmaker Rep. Na Kyung-won as its new floor leader Tuesday, amid escalating internal strife ahead of a leadership election next year.In the general meeting held at the National Assembly, Rep. Na decisively beat three-term lawmaker Rep. Kim Hack-yong, garnering 68 votes to 35. Among the 112 party lawmakers, 103 could vote, as memberships of nine lawmakers are currently suspended. Newly elected Liberty Korea Party floor leader Rep. Na Kyung

Korea Railroad Corp. CEO Oh Young-sik resigned Tuesday, taking responsibility for the recent series of train accidents. “I’ve emphasized the importance of train safety since I took the post in February, but I failed to keep my word as train accidents continued to occur,” Oh said.Oh added that the recent KTX derailment accident was caused partly by the problems that Korail currently faces, including the massive reduction of its labor force, privatization and separation of infrastructure and opera

A South Korean taxi driver burned himself to death on Monday in protest at an Uber-like ride-sharing service being introduced by the country's largest mobile chat app, reports said.(Yonhap)South Korean taxi drivers have angrily protested against the car-pooling service created by KakaoTalk, saying it would threaten their jobs and livelihoods. US giant Uber has only a minimal presence in the country, offering only taxi- and licensed-hire vehicle hailing after closing its main ride-sharing service